I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protective devices for suppressing short duration, high energy impulses or surges such as lightning strikes, which occur from time to time in video satellite receiver systems. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of a surge suppressor connected in series with conductors of a video satellite receiver and other components of a satellite receiver system.
II. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vacuum tubes in radio frequency transmitting and receiving equipment enables such equipment to tolerate nearby lightning strikes because the breakdown voltage of vacuum tubes is relatively high. Thus the tubes will usually not be damaged unless there is a direct lightning strike on the antenna or the feedline. Recent advances in solid state design technology have enabled transistors to replace vacuum tubes in most applications. The problems of surge protection or lightning strikes for transistorized receivers or transmitters is especially troublesome in view of the low breakdown voltages for typical solid state devices. Once the low breakdown voltage has been exceeded, the solid state device fails and must be replaced.
Surge protection equipment has been developed because of the significant cost in repairing and replacing solid state equipment. It is necessary that such equipment be designed to withstand multiple lightning strikes of reasonable intensity without the necessity of replacing the protective device and to avoid destruction of any equipment attached thereto. It is important, however, that the performance of the system in which the surge protective equipment is used not be degraded by the insertion of the protective device.
The present invention is invisible to the attached equipment which it is designed to protect and can sustain multiple lightning strikes without replacement or maintenance.